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One of my loved ones is having surgery at Florida Baptist Hospital in Plant City, FL today. Every time, I always use a local florist called Creative Flowers by Glenn. They always do such a great job. I call them up on their local number (813) 754-7449 instead of their 1-800 number. And there is a specific reason I do that!

I know from working as a florist in a floral shop that if you order through 1-800 Flowers or from the florist's website, often a big company takes a fee from the small shop.

And there are many benefits for me, too:

I can choose a floral shop that's closest by looking at the map, which means they can probably get the flowers there faster without a bunch of fees

By calling them directly, I get to hear Glenn's cute raspy voice and make a specific request like a type of flower rather than going with one of the cookie-cutter designs

It matters to me that I support the small businesses rather than the major chains

I connect directly with a human about a purchase that matters to me

I can request a certain price point, and ask that they do their best to work within that. And because the florist keeps a bigger % of the sale they can pass a little savings on to me as well

So I hope you'll keep this in mind next time you're looking to buy flowers. Support the local floral shops! Long live your flowers!

About Laura Gabriele

Laura Gabriele is an online bible study leader, coach, and social media consultant. Through her YouTube channel, online programs, and group coaching, she hopes to inspire women worldwide to "follow God's signs, not dollar signs" and to "never stop learning, growing and reaching."